Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal

Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal, or ECCO2R, is a treatment that removes carbon dioxide directly from the bloodstream of a patient in respiratory failure with elevated blood carbon dioxide, using a catheter placed in a large vein to circulate blood through an external filtering machine before returning it to the body. It has been studied as an experimental treatment for severe exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and for acute respiratory distress syndrome, particularly in situations where conventional mechanical ventilation would risk further injuring the lungs.